Part II- Heart of Stone
by JenovaWitness
Summary: Cloud, Vincent and Yuffie stumble upon a mysterious bay with a waterfall, a strange lady appears... and Vincent is forced to face his past once more. Hope ya like!
1. The Present

-=Part II- Heart of Stone=-  
  
-Part 2.1-  
  
Vincent Valentine was silent as the submarine surfaced from the depths of the ocean floor. While this wasn't anything unusual, it made Yuffie Kisaragi feel extremely uneasy. His expression was blank, but his ruby eyes were clearly troubled. The submarine suddenly rumbled, shaking the passengers inside. Yuffie's stomach churned and she got up, unable to sit still any longer. Her motion sickness was getting to her again, and she paced the floor, trying to concentrate on other things. Finally, she slumped in a corner, clutching her stomach. Vincent detected her restlessness and glanced down at his feet, not saying anything. Cloud Strife also noticed the way Yuffie was moaning, and motioned for Vincent to take control of the sub. Vincent nodded and sat down in the seat, slowing it down as much as he could.  
  
"Are you okay?" Cloud asked softly, approaching the corner. Yuffie glared at him.  
"Do I look okay to you?" she asked dryly. She got up, wobbling a bit. "Does this piece of scrap metal have a bathroom?" Cloud shrugged. She sighed, and left the room to go search the small submarine, muttering about useless guys. Cloud shook his head, empathising with how she felt. His own sickness was present, but over the years he had learnt to control it somewhat. Or maybe that was something Zack felt and not me, he thought bitterly. He suddenly noticed that the submarine was no longer moving, and looked over to Vincent for an answer.   
  
But Vincent was just staring into space, his mind elsewhere. Cloud raised an eyebrow, noticing that his eyes had glazed over. Was he… crying? Vincent seemed to sense that he was being watched, and blinked.   
  
"We're here," he said shortly. Cloud nodded. Yuffie took that moment to emerge again, with a wide grin that was quite the contrary to the atmosphere of the room. Her motion sickness was forgotten, as she donned a long, brunette wig. She had tied it up in a ponytail, but her normal hair had fallen back into place underneath the wig. Vincent stared at her, shocked at the resemblance. No one else noticed.  
  
"Look what I found in the back!" she said enthusiastically. Cloud smiled at her, remembering the way he had been when he was her age. They were much the same, in many ways. But he had been a quiet person, while Yuffie basically never shut up. Yuffie beamed, and looked to Vincent for any sign of acknowledgement, but he just stared vacantly at her. Yuffie frowned, and waved at him, annoyed.  
  
"Vincent, snap out of it!"   
  
'Vincent, snap out of it! I'll be fine!"  
  
Vincent said nothing, as Yuffie crossed her arms indignantly. He still remained silent, lost in his own little world.  
  
"VINCENT!"  
  
'VINCENT! I've decided! I'm not going to change my mind!'  
  
At last, Vincent came to, and blinked uncomfortably. Yuffie suddenly saw the anguish in his eyes, and her own eyes widened in sympathy. She backed away, and Vincent pushed past her out the door. Both Yuffie and Cloud heard the submarine hatch slam shut, and winced. Cloud looked at Yuffie in bewilderment, but Yuffie just shook her head and sighed, pulling off the wig. I always manage to do that, she thought, her ears burning. The wig fell to the floor softly.  
  
"I'll call Tifa on the PHS and tell her what happened," Cloud said awkwardly, pulling out his small communication unit. "We might be back to Junon a little later than we expected. Go see if Vincent's around up there. If he's not, I'll arrange for Cid to do a round of the area in the Highwind." Yuffie nodded, and ran out the door to find Vincent. Cloud dialled Tifa's number, and waited for her to answer.  
  
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Yuffie climbed out of the submarine in relief, but her heart sank as she saw no sign of Vincent. They had come up in a small bay, with a large waterfall flowing nearby. The radar had said that they were near Nibelheim, but the mountains were high on all sides and she couldn't see any sign of the small town. The bay lead down to join a river, which had to be the one that led back to the waters they had come from. Yuffie used her ninja agility to swing herself from the top of the sub to land delicately on the soft grass. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a black cape flutter… behind the waterfall?   
  
"What is that idiot doing now?" she muttered, hurrying after him. She reached the edge, where the grass ended and was taken place by some damp soil. She grimaced, knowing that this was a suicide mission she didn't particularly want to be on. I'll come back and haunt Cloud forever if I die, she thought as she leapt through the waters, doing a tumble roll when she landed on some solid ground.   
  
A bright light was flickering ahead, and for a few seconds she wondered if she had fallen to her death. But no, she was kneeling on soft wet earth. She got to her feet slowly, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the surroundings. She was behind the waterfall, and in a narrow passageway. The walls were slimy and wet, she discovered as she leant against one. She grimaced in disgust, and wiped her hands on her shorts. Her ears pricked as she heard a soft, female voice.  
  
"Vincent…" He had to be ahead! She walked warily towards where the light was, and saw a tall shape silhouetted by the light. He mumbled something under his breath.  
  
"Vincent!" she breathed, approaching him carefully. Maybe he had done a Cloud and gone nutters… He didn't respond, just remained as still as a statue. She saw that beyond the passage was a large area with a crystallic floor and large ice-like stalagmites huddled together around the vicinity. She shuddered in sudden fear, her arms wrapped around her. She reached Vincent's side, and noticed the figure hunched over on an alter-like slab of stone. It wasn't someone she recognised, but the person seemed eerily familiar all the same. She wrinkled her nose.  
  
"Lucrecia…?" Vincent's voice was unusually faint and full of emotion. He stepped forward, either unaware of Yuffie's presence (which she doubted) or ignoring her. Yuffie made sure her weapon was secure in case this was another Sephiroth joke. With a jolt, she realised that Lucrecia, whoever she was, was glowing with a pale blue light. She was almost transparent… A ghost! Yuffie jumped back, unnerved, wishing Cloud would show up. This had to be some kind of trick, for Vincent couldn't possibly know anyone. He'd spent his life in the coffin… or so she was led to believe. Cloud and Aeris never had told her what really happened when they found Vincent imprisoned in a coffin in the basement of the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim.  
  
At Vincent's voice, the woman looked up, and got to her feet quickly. Yuffie got a better look at her, and was unsettled by the resemblance in outfit that the woman had to a Shinra professor. She was wearing a long white labcoat, which came down to her shins, and black heels. Her hair was tied in a ponytail- like how Yuffie's had been! So that was why Vincent had gotten so upset by it. This lady was obviously a close friend of his, or had been. And, Yuffie wondered as she saw the look in Vincent's eyes, were they perhaps more than friends?  
  
At times like this, she usually felt the urge to make a comment, or complain. But now, in this cave, she felt as if she couldn't. Something held her back. She watched as Vincent ran out to Lucrecia, unable to move. They were more than friends, she mused. It was so obvious. But she was surprised when, instead of welcoming Vincent, Lucrecia cried, "Stay back!!" The desperation in her voice stopped him dead in his tracks, and Yuffie screamed as the area was filled with a bright white light, brighter than anything she'd ever seen before and hotter than anything she'd felt before. She fell to her knees, holding her head in pain.  
  
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Authors Note:- *sob* Makes me want to do a Yuffie-Vince fic! I was originally going to put Tifa as the third person, but Yuffie seemed like a better character. Do you agree? Please let me know! Review this for me ^_~ Hope you all enjoyed! And please review! I love reviews!!   



	2. The Past- Alpha

-=Part II- Heart of Stone=-  
  
-Part 2.2-   
  
Vincent followed the group sullenly, ignoring the looks they were given by the curious townspeople of Nibelheim. What was it of their business to know his? His eyes hardened as he remember why he was here, and he glared ahead at the receding back of Professor Hojo, wanting nothing more than to turn his gun upon that slimeball. His eyes softened when his gaze fell upon Lucrecia, who followed her husband wordlessly. If he could have seen her eyes, he would have known of the tears that dripped from them. But he couldn't.  
  
The three of them walked into the mansion, but Vincent himself remained outside, not wanting to believe that this was reality, that he wasn't having a nightmare. He knew that there was something going on, and that it involved Lucrecia and her baby. But he had yet to learn to details. Yet he knew that Hojo, that slimy bastard, had unpleasant plans for the child. Just like…  
  
He turned his back to the mansion, clenching his fist. I'm not going in, he thought, staring up at the sky. The disturbance in the air was unsettling, and seemed to whisper the thoughts of bad things happening. Vincent noticed the house of the edge of the town seemed rather quiet, and decided to go check things out. He was a Turk, after all. Maybe there was something there that needed to be dealt with. He approached the house carefully, and glanced in the window. It was empty. He sighed, and returned to the house. Lucrecia emerged, her face a little pale.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, hurrying to her side. She just nodded, but he could tell that something had been decided. "Tell me what happened." Lucrecia paused, her hand on her stomach, slowly walking down the hill.  
  
"Lucas informed me of the results of the testing. On the specimen that Gast discovered before," she began. Vincent nodded, quietly urging her to go on. "And Gast has thought of an idea, to see if we can replicate a human with the scientific capabilities of an Ancient, or Cetra." Vincent nodded again, trying to understand where this was going.  
  
"What does this have to do with you?" he said uncertainly. Lucrecia smiled, but it was a weak smile that only reached her eyes.  
  
"I am going to be the human host for the replication," she said softly. Vincent gasped in outrage. They had walked to the site of the well now, but Vincent stopped and shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me," he hissed. But the look in Lucrecia's violet eyes told him that she was not kidding at all. He growled, muttering curses about the scientists under his breath. More like mad scientists, he thought. "You can't do it! It could kill you! The specimen was something like a thousand years old!"   
  
"Two thousand," Lucrecia correctly quietly, not looking at him. He clenched his fist angrily, gritting his teeth.   
  
"It's crazy, Lucrecia! It's unbelievable! You're going to be killed and I can't be there. Think of your child! Think of what your bastard husband will do to him! The baby won't be alive when he's finished with him!" Lucrecia's eyes filled with tears at his sudden outburst, and she ran from him towards the entrance of the town. He cursed, and ran after her, easily catching up to her.   
  
"Lucrecia!" he panted, grasping her hands. "What about me? Does my love for you mean so little that you would risk your life and your child's just for some experiment that could go horribly wrong?" Lucrecia looked into his eyes, her own eyes filled with a mixture of remorse and fear.  
  
"You mean so much to me," she whispered. "But I'm married to Lucas." With that, she pulled away and ran out of the town, ignoring Vincent's pleads. Vincent gazed after her, his heart broken in two. He let his outstretched hand fall to his side, and stood there in denial. A few minutes later, Hojo pushed past him to find her, and the two returned while Vincent stood to the side silently. He could hear every word Hojo whispered in comfort to her, which made him want to break the scientist's neck.   
  
"Oh Lucrecia, I love you so much," Hojo said in a hushed voice, holding her in his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder, wishing for something that she would never have. She wished that she was in another pair of arms, and that fate could be different. But it wasn't. And she had made her choice. She loved Lucas, and knew he loved her too. So what was holding her back? "Trust me, I only want the best for our child. With this to take place, the child will grow up to be great, and brilliant. Their future will be so sparkling and bright, like our future together is." Vincent spat bitterly on the ground, but Hojo didn't notice, nor did Lucrecia.   
  
"I trust you," she murmured, and Hojo held her close to him, his eyes closed. Vincent's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he stared dejectedly at the ground, wishing it would open up and swallow him into the Lifestream. Hojo led Lucrecia back to the mansion, while Vincent stayed behind in contemplation. He wanted the best for Lucrecia, and if she trusted in Hojo, then he did too.  
  
If she is happy then… I don't mind.  
  
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Authors Note:- Aww.. poor Vincent! I hated that part, because it showed Hojo in such a horrible light. How could Lucrecia choose *him* over Vincent?!?! One word for it all. Yuck. Thank you for actually continuing to read this story, I really appreciate it! And I'll love ya even more if you review for me... *hint hint* Thanks all!  



	3. The Past- Omega

-=Part II- Heart of Stone=-  
  
-Part 2.3-  
  
Lucrecia sat in the chair of her room quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks. The candle burned brightly, promising hope but giving nothing more than a yellow glow. Am I making the right choice? Lucas and Gast were down in the basement, researching all that they could and preparing the lab. Vincent was with them, but she knew he wouldn't say anything to them. That was his way. He'd listen silently to everything, taking it in, and then and only then would he protest. It was what made him the best Turk of Shinra.  
  
Her baby kicked inside her stomach, and a smile came to her face. But it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes. What kind of environment would her baby grow up in? A laboratory filled with test tubes, and all sorts of chemicals. Or an isolation chamber perhaps. But not forever. Gast and Hojo had promised her that the child would be allowed a normal childhood life. And she trusted them.  
  
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Hojo mumbled to himself, as he prepared everything, bustling around busily, pausing every now and then to give Lucrecia a reassuring grin. She was unusually silent, he noticed. Perhaps something to do with the chemical imbalances of emotions in her head? Something to research later, definitely. He almost dropped everything when the door burst open. Vincent Valentine, that meddlesome Turk, stood there, his eyes blazing.  
  
"Gast told me everything," he shouted, his voice dropping to a menacingly low tone. "I'm against it! Why experiment on humans?!" Hojo sighed in annoyance.  
  
"She and I are both scientists!" he said fervently. Lucrecia just looked at the floor with her head hung, avoiding Vincent's accusing glare. Vincent glanced at Lucrecia, and shook his head in incredulity at the both of them.   
  
"You just wait, Hojo," he hissed. "I'll find out what you are doing." With that, he stormed out of the room and back upstairs. Hojo returned to resorting his journals, chuckling to himself. Lucrecia sank against the wall, her head in her hands.  
  
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Something in the pit of Vincent's stomach told him to check on Lucrecia. It had been a few days since the birth of Sephiroth, her son. He hadn't talked to Hojo or Lucrecia much since the heated argument three weeks ago. Lucrecia had had her son at the stroke of ten at night, which made Vincent ill at ease more than he was willing to admit. Then the child had been whisked away to the lab, to be 'observed'. Vincent scoffed, knowing full well that was just Hojo's excuse. The child was probably being subjected to all kinds of experiments.  
  
He hurried upstairs, to Lucrecia's room. Anxiously, he pushed the door open. It seems ironic how well people remember the grief in their lives, rather than the joy. And grief was definitely what he felt when he saw the body of his love, lying on the floor so close to death.  
  
"Lucrecia!" he cried in anguish, rushing to her side and kneeling down beside her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she coughed weakly.  
  
"Lucas?" she murmured, as Vincent took her hand. He shook his head. Her eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Vincent… Jenova… corrosive fluids… Sephiroth!" She had become delusional, Vincent realised in horror. She tried to sit up in pain, but couldn't, and slumped into his arms, her eyes closing. For years to come, Vincent would wonder whom she had addressed her last words to. But he would never truly know.  
  
"… I… love you…" Her eyes closed, she fell back into a deep sleep. She wasn't dead, yet. Vincent gritted his teeth in fury, picking her up and laying her gently on the bed. Hojo would pay dearly for this. He left the room angrily, and went downstairs towards the entry to the basement.   
  
He only stopped when his infuriated gaze landed upon a thick journal entitled 'Jenova'. Hadn't that been one of the words Lucrecia mumbled? He flicked open to the first page, and saw that it was written in a mixture of Hojo's messy scrawl and Gast's neat print. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Lucrecia's name mentioned, and his eyes widened in anger as he read on. He only skimmed, but enough was absorbed into his furious mind, and he ran almost blind with rage down to the lab. He threw the door open so hard that it smashed into the wall, its hinges creaking. Hojo looked up in surprise, and a smirk played his lips when he saw Vincent standing there.  
  
"You knew she was going to die!" Vincent spat venomously. Hojo shrugged.  
"We knew it was a possibility," he said coldly. Vincent shook his head, seething. "Could you please see fit to leave the room yourself?" Vincent held up the journal in defiance. Hojo's eyes widened in astonishment, and he staggered back. "How… did you get that?" Vincent held the book tightly.  
  
"I'm taking this to Shinra, and I'm showing them exactly what you are doing. When the HRA find out about this, you'll be killed. When they find out what your plans for Sephiroth are, they'll make sure you rot in hell. Maybe they will stop there. Maybe they won't. But if they don't make sure you pay, I will." Hojo shook his head sadly at Vincent, running a hand through his black hair.  
  
"I'm sorry, Vincent, I really am," he said resentfully. Then he produced the gun from nowhere, and shot Vincent in the stomach. Pain flooded to Vincent's eyes, making them sting with tears. There was red, so much red. Everything was red. His blood was seeping through his jacket, dripping onto the floor. He could feel his mind slowing down, his heartbeat quickening. He gasped for air, wondering why he couldn't breathe, and staggered towards Hojo, looking desperately into his black eyes for compassion. But all that was there was a deep black emptiness, and an inconceivable satisfaction. Vincent fell to his knees, the pain beginning to overwhelm him. So this was what it was like to die…  
  
Hojo merely stepped back as Vincent collapsed on the cold brick floor, leaning forward only to snatch the book from his deathly pale hands.   
  
"This will go somewhere where no one will find it," Hojo muttered, filing it away. Then he returned, and heaved the Turk onto the surgery table. He chuckled to himself, attached the IV unit and plugging the machinery into the wall. It hummed happily, and Hojo smiled. He had needed a human test subject to trial some of those other specimens he himself had found.  
  
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Authors note:- Yay! Only one more part to upload! If you're wondering why it is called Part II, well I'm considering writing Part I which will deal with Vincent's past before Lucrecia and after Lucrecia. Let me know if you think I should, and also while you're at it, can you review? Thank you!! You guys are the best for reading this!  



	4. The Future?

-=Part II- Heart of Stone=-  
  
-Part 2.4-  
  
Yuffie looked up, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Vincent had not only been a Turk, but a lover to the mother of … Sephiroth?! The bright light was gone, replaced by a dull ringing in her ears. Her eyes stung with tears as she saw the hunched figure of Vincent, kneeling in front of her. He had suffered so much… why hadn't he told them? He must not have trusted them, even after everything, she thought sourly. Yet she knew that wasn't true.   
Vincent got up desolately, standing up and looking back at Lucrecia.  
  
"This body is… the punishment that's been given to me…" he said quietly. Yuffie knew he was talking to her, and her eyes shone with sympathy. It wasn't his fault about anything! Vincent continued flatly. "I was unable… to stop Professor Gast and Hojo…And Lucrecia… I was unable to stop them." Lucrecia had buried her head in her hands now, her shoulders shaking with heartache. "All that I was able to do was watch… that is my punishment…" Vincent seemed to be back to reality now. He looked at Lucrecia in wonder, who looked upon him with teary red eyes.  
  
"Lucrecia… you're alive…" he whispered in awe. She sobbed into her hands.  
  
"I wanted to disappear," she sniffed. "I couldn't be with anyone… I wanted to die." Cloud took this moment to come in quietly, unnoticed to anyone but Yuffie who glanced at him warningly. "But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die…" Lucrecia again collapsed into heart-wracked sobs. But she kept talking. "Lately, I dream a lot of Sephiroth… my dear, dear child." Cloud gasped, and looked at Yuffie for an explanation. She just shook her head sadly.  
"Ever since he was born I never got to hold him…" Lucrecia reflected. "Not even once. You can't call me his mother… That… is my sin…" Vincent started towards her, but she stood up, holding her arms out.   
  
"Back!" she cried. "Stay back!" Her shoulders drooped, and a tear rolled down her cheek, then she looked up at Vincent. "Vincent… won't you please tell me?" Vincent stared back in confusion.  
  
"What?" he asked, wishing she would let him come to her. Even if it meant he had to die, he wanted to be with her.   
  
"If Sephiroth is still alive?" Vincent was taken aback by this. Did she really know nothing of the terrible deeds her son had commited, the horrible atrocities he had brought upon innocent people? "I heard that he died five years ago. But I see him in my dreams so often… And I know that physically, like myself, he can't die so easily. Please, Vincent… tell me…" Vincent didn't know how to tell his love that he himself was on a mission to destroy her child at this very moment. He couldn't bring himself to tell her. Cloud stepped forward, but Vincent held his hand out, warning him to stay back. Vincent heaved a sigh, as Lucrecia wept into her hands.  
  
"Lucrecia…" he said tenderly. "Sephiroth is dead."  
  
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Sometimes, I wonder whether I am truly alive. Blood courses through my veins, the blood of the Ancients. That much, I know. But does this simple remanent make me alive? On some level, I know that I have committed some appalling crimes, things I never believed I could achieve. But there is rarely time to consider this when I perform these things. It sometimes makes me wonder, is this me doing this? Or am I simply being controlled by someone else, much like I control others?   
  
Another thing about me that defies the very essence of life is how I came into being. My mother… I do not resemble her at all. She is the pure example of a Cetra, and it is from her that I descended. But shouldn't I share at least some of her characteristics? Yes, my blood is her blood. But my face is that of a stranger. Who was my father? Did I even need one?   
  
I often dream of a woman, a human, that somehow I recognise. And she knows me as well. I trust her in this dream, I like her, I love her like family. But that is when I know this is not reality. I trust no one, nor do I love anyone. Humans cannot be trust or loved for they are all the same. Traitors.  
  
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Authors Note:- Well, how did you like that? I didn't think it would be so long; I was just planning for a short story about Lucrecia and Vincent's past. But such as life! Can you guess who it was at the end, contemplating to himself? Please read and review for me! I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on this fanfic!! Thank you! ^_^*  



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